Design of high entropy alloys: A single-parameter thermodynamic rule

Assuming random mixing of atoms, design of high entropy alloys (HEAs) was used to follow a simple route by maximizing their configurational entropy of mixing. Here we propose a single-parameter design paradigm taking into account formation enthalpy and the excessive entropy of mixing, which arises from dense atomic packing and atomic size misfit. The proposed paradigm is verified using the data hitherto reported and proven to be a physically accepted thermodynamic parameter for the design of HEAs. (C) 2015 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.